Category: Volunteering

Midlothian Volunteer Awards 2025

Ellis on 19 May, 2025

On Thursday 29 May 2025, volunteers from across Midlothian will arrive at Newbattle Abbey College for our annual Midlothian Volunteer Awards Ceremony. We’re excited to celebrate all the amazing efforts of volunteers in Midlothian over the past year.

This celebration is a part of Volunteer’s Week, a national initiative where we appreciate people’s kindness across the whole of Scotland. It is a great opportunity to promote some of the fabulous volunteering projects that exist in Midlothian.

Programme

Read a preview of all the award nominees in our 2025 programme:

Midlothian Volunteer Awards 2025 Programme by Zoe Innes

Follow us on social media to be the first to see photos from the ceremony & keep up-to-date on all our events:

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Plans Scrapped for Volunteer PVG Fees – Free Membership Continues

Ellis on 3 February, 2025

Midlothian TSI are delighted to confirm that free Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) scheme membership for Qualifying Voluntary Organisation (QVO) volunteers will continue.

This announcement follows Disclosure Scotland’s consultation over PVG fees last year. We would like to extend a huge thank you to everyone who contributed to the consultation, and in doing so, influencing this decision. There was a great national response and consistent messaging from across the third sector.

As well as continuing the fee waiver for QVOs, fees for the new Level 1 and Level 2 disclosures will remain at their equivalent levels in 2025. Further details of the announcement can be found on Disclosure Scotland’s website.

The Disclosure (Scotland) Act 2020 will begin implementation on April 1 2025, with the first key change being that PVG membership for those in Regulated Roles will become mandatory.

Keep informed of all the upcoming changes by attending information sessions regularly delivered by both Volunteer Scotland and Disclosure Scotland.

Read our previous blog post summarising the changes here, or download the PDF version below.

PVG Changes HandoutDownload

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Changes to the PVG Scheme: Are You Prepared?

Ellis on 22 November, 2024

Disclosure Scotland will be implementing the Disclosure (Scotland) Act 2020 from April 1 2025 onwards. This includes making changes to Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) scheme memberships. Below we have highlighted some of the key changes to be aware of and what you need to do to prepare. You can read a full summary of the changes on Disclosure Scotland’s website.

From April 1 2025:

Regulated Roles: Current ‘Regulated Work’ will become ‘Regulated Roles.’ If you’re in a Regulated Role, you legally need to become a member of the Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) scheme.

New Responsibilities: Both the organisation and the individual are now responsible for ensuring PVG membership if in a Regulated Role. This means if your organisation mistakenly says you don’t need a PVG when you actually do, both parties could face legal consequences.

New Roles Added: Some roles that weren’t previously covered by the PVG scheme, like football agents, talent scouts, and certain hospice positions, now require it.

What You Need To Do:

Check if You’re Doing or Providing a Regulated Role: Identify if your role or your staff/ volunteers’ roles are classed as Regulated Roles.

Get PVG Membership if Required: If your role qualifies, make sure you join the PVG scheme before April 1 2025.

Stay Updated: Check out Disclosure Scotland’s website at www.disclosure.gov.scot for full details of the upcoming changes.

If you are unsure about the changes or have any questions, contact Volunteer Scotland Disclosure Services (VSDS):

Phone: 0178 684 9777

Email: ku.gr1747681237o.dna1747681237ltocs1747681237reetn1747681237ulov@1747681237serus1747681237olcsi1747681237d1747681237

Website: www.volunteerscotland.net/disclosure-services

Download the leaflet version of this page:

PVG Changes HandoutDownload

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Pond Rescue! Volunteers Renew the Community Garden

Ellis on 16 August, 2024

Our community garden at Dalkeith Country Park had a very welcome visit from the Scottish Government’s Infrastructure Division. The team arrived as part of a corporate volunteering day, just in time to help us repair our leaky pond!

They worked together to empty the pond and reline it, even rescuing three frogs and some tadpoles along the way.

On top of restoring the pond, the volunteers took on the task of painting our boundary fence. Despite the hot weather, they worked tirelessly and made a huge difference in a single day.

We are incredibly grateful to the team for their time and effort. Without their support we wouldn’t have been able to accomplish such a big job so efficiently!

Thank you for helping us create a beautiful space for both our community and local wildlife.

Click here to learn more about our Transform project and community garden.